These are general guidelines/priorities for safe and effective financial planning, not the "best possible" investment. They are apparently vastly better than what most americans have now: no will, cc debt, unaffordable mortgage, no (liquid) savings, inappropriately conservative, reckless or high-fee investment etc. You can certainly optimize and customize these guidelines, but you have to know what you are doing, which most of us don't. These guidelines are probably not quite suitable for places other than the US.